What call forwarding does well
Forwarding is simple and widely available from phone providers. Calls to your business number ring your cell or another line, so customers reach a real person when someone is free. There is little to set up, and nothing new for callers to learn.
The catch is that every call reaches you, whatever you are doing. If you are on a job, with a client or asleep, the call goes to your personal voicemail or is missed. You also end up answering the same questions again and again, and there is no shared record of who called unless you keep one yourself.
What RingMind does differently
RingMind answers calls on its own number with an AI assistant, so a person is only involved when one is needed.
- Answers every call on its number, day and night, and can handle several calls at once.
- Answers routine questions from your business details and approved Knowledge Base.
- Transfers selectively to up to five people on your transfer list, telling callers who they are being put through to. See AI call transfer.
- Takes messages with name, number, reason and urgency when no one needs to pick up, and notifies your team about urgent ones.
- Logs every call with a transcript in a unified inbox, alongside SMS and WhatsApp conversations.
Numbers are bought in Phone Numbers and connected to an assistant. See phone numbers, transfers and messages. RingMind currently offers US and Canada local and toll-free numbers, and it doesn't port existing numbers or forward calls without the assistant answering first.
Where call forwarding is the better choice
- You want to speak to every caller personally and can usually pick up.
- Calls are few, so screening them isn't worth any setup.
- You need to keep your existing number exactly as it is, with no new number involved.
Where an AI receptionist fits better
- You are often unable to answer, for example on site, driving or with customers. Trades such as plumbing and HVAC are common examples.
- Many calls are questions that don't need you.
- You want a shared record of calls instead of a personal call log.
Honest limits
The assistant can misunderstand a caller, and it can only answer from what you've approved. Transfers go to the people you list, so if no one answers, the caller may still need a message taken. It doesn't make outbound calls. Booking directly requires a connected calendar integration, and integrations are in Beta.
At a glance
- Availability: forwarding reaches you only when you can answer; RingMind answers its number around the clock.
- Handles well: forwarding suits personal, low-volume calls; RingMind suits screening, questions, messages and transfers.
- Costs: forwarding is often included with a phone line or charged per minute by the provider; RingMind is a plan with included minutes and usage-based extra minutes up to an owner-set cap.
- Setup effort: forwarding is a setting with your provider; RingMind needs a number, business details, approved knowledge and a test.
- Choose forwarding when you want every call yourself; choose RingMind when you want only the calls that need you.